Since 1989 the Commonweal has been southeastern Minnesota’s premier professional live theater company. With a rotating repertory of comedies, dramas, musicals and more, we offer something for everyone. Located in historic Bluff Country, the Commonweal is consistently ranked as one of the top things to do in Lanesboro, MN. This podcast focuses on Commonweal Theatre Company members and guest artists. Drama Unfolds Where the Root River Bends.

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Synth and Josie gather together as podcast hosts for the last time in 2023 with a special bonus episode to celebrate the coming new year! In this episode, they reminisce over the past few months as certified podcast hosts, play a much requested blooper reel from every episode, and also dive into de-mystifying the famous apprentice bonding ritual...You don&#39;t want to miss it!

Looking Back on the 2023 Season

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Josie and Synth are joined this week by the rest of the apprentices in the 2024 class! These friends gather together to talk about key takeaways from the apprentice program, their favorite moments while working on the productions, and their pre-show rituals for She Loves Me. This exciting episode provides great insight into the apprentices dynamic - and how a few of them have bonded over French indie music.

A Chat with the 2024 Apprentice Class

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Synth and Josie return to the podcast with special guests Adrienne Sweeney and Stela Burdt. Stela and Adrienne have been at the Commonweal since the early 2000s, and have seen the Commonweal grow into what it is today. In this episode, they bring us on the journey of how they came to Lanesboro and where they are in the company now. They also discuss the creation of the Ibsen Fest and share some famous on-stage mishaps over the years!

Stela and Adrienne on Their Commonweal Experience

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Cody Beyer joins hosts Synth and Josie as they discuss some of the technical aspects of a repertory theatre. Cody is the Technical Director for the Commonweal, as well as Facilities Manager, and has many responsibilities within the company. Cody discusses his time working in Chicago, his favorite part of the 2023 season, and some future projects for the company. Cody also reveals some unusual philosophies when it comes to flying planes. Tune in to this entertaining, engaging, and light-hearted episode!

Who is Cody Beyer?

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The newest episode of the Commonweal Theatre Podcast invites listeners to dive into the life of an understudy - with guest Lizzy Andretta. Lizzy has been working with the Commonweal since 2017, but just recently had her first experience as a planned understudy this season. Lizzy discusses her process as an understudy, her knack for learning lines, and even her transition from a bona fide city girl to her small town life in Lanesboro.

The Life of an Understudy w/ Lizzy Andretta

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Synth and Josie chat with Craig Johnson, beloved visiting artist and frequent Commonweal director. Craig chats with the hosts about how he was drawn to theatre as a young boy, directing Women in Jeopardy, and he is quizzed on his theatre history knowledge! Listen for a truly exciting and fun talk with Craig Johnson!

Creating Theatre with Craig Johnson

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In this episode of the Commonweal podcast, Josie and Synth discuss the intricacies of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with director Mark Baer and our very own resident ensemble member Tim Sailer, who plays Dr. Jekyll. Hosts Synth and Josie learn some interesting facts about Jeffrey Hatcher&#39;s adaptation in comparison to the classic tale, how truly timeless this story is, and how Jekyll and Hyde is about much more than the separation of good and evil. Are the guests on this episode more of a Dr. Jekyll type or a Mr. Hyde type? Listen to find out!

Diving Deep Into Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

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Join us as we talk with our guest, Aaron Preusse about how he got started in fight choregraphy, where he is now, and what his projects with The Commonweal.

Fight Choreography w/ Aaron Preusse

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Listen to the return of the Commonweal Theatre podcast, as hosted by apprentices Synth Gonzalez and Josie Ramler! In this episode, you can hear from two apprentices in the apprentice class of 2024 as they discuss how they came to the Commonweal, what their experiences have been, and what they are working on now! You may also find insightful throwbacks to past productions, one even being from over twenty years ago... What could it be?

Back From The Dead

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Today we chat with Erika and Tinne, two Commonweal newbies, who are killing it onstage in the show Good People. Both are established actors who have worked across the country and it is a delight to talk to them about this riveting piece of theatre. Thanks for listening!

Erika DeGraff and Tinne Rosenmeier on Good People

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Joining me today are John and Tanner, two members of our apprentice company. They’re in both of the summer shows this year and we thought it would be great to check in on the summer rep.We talk about being in several shows at once, the differences between Leading Ladies and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, how they feel they’ve grown while being here and we hear about one truly, truly, amazing spreadsheet You don’t want to miss it.

A Tale of Two Apprentices - John and Tanner in the Summer Rep!

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Joining me today are Brandt Roberts and Elizabeth Dunn, two longstanding company members who are heading out at the end of July. We just thought it would be fun to share some memories and talk about their favorite moments here in their tenure here at the Commonweal. Both have been such a wonderful part of this community both at the theatre and in Lanesboro  As Elizabeth said in her blog, you don’t leave a place like this you carry it with you and it’s wonderful to hear what they’re carrying with them from here.

Brandt & Elizabeth - Carrying Lanesboro with Them

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Joining me is Jeremy van Meter resident ensemble member and he’s playing Herb in I Ought to Be In Pictures, which has about 10 more performances and closes on June 2. We talk about how the show is going and what it’s like working on a comedy - Jeremy typically does drama here at the Commonweal. We also talk about coming back to the show after a long hiatus - about a month, including a Covid absence.There’s plenty to catch. You don’t want to miss it. Stay tuned.

Jeremy van Meter is really funny - even if you usually only see him do drama!

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It&#39;s a Tim &amp; Josiah pod - we talk about what’s going on at the theatre, there&#39;s a ton: rehearsals are happening, sets are being built, art is being hung in the lobby.... There’s a lot going on to prep for the opening of our 2022 season. =And we also talk about what we do to prepare for a show - Tim is in 2 this year, Josiah is in one. But it’s a nice look at what it takes to prepare for a show and how diverse that can be from actor to actor. Everyone has their own methods and it’s a lot of fun to get into it. There’s plenty to catch. Thanks for listening

Tim & Josiah with the 2022 Season about to Open!

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Today we’re interviewing: Grace Cummings one of our apprentices for 2022. Grace is playing the young Hollywood hopeful, Libby, in Neil Simon’s I Ought to Be in Pictures (which we affectionately call “PICTURES”). She shares her first impressions of Lanesboro, what attracted her about the Commonweal apprenticeship, and how she believes that no matter how old you are, everyone is “coming of age.” Enjoy!

Commonweal's first 2022 Apprentice, Grace Cummings

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Welcome to the Commonweal Theatre podcast. Josiah and Tim interview Commonweal’s Producing Artistic Director, Hal Cropp and take a look at the upcoming season. Hal told us he was a little put out that he hadn’t been invited on the podcast thus far, we thought we’d remedy that right away. As aways it’s very entertaining to talk to Hal. He does his best Boston accent for us, we talk comedy, we talk drama. You don’t want to miss it.

Hal & the 2022 Season Preview

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Today Tim and I talked about “January Company” - the people who depending on who you ask are either the most overworked or underworked people at the Commonweal Theatre! There’s a ton of projects we’re working on here and we also give a little sneak peak as to what’s coming up later in the year. There’s plenty to catch including Josiah’s fear of ladders, Regina Spektor and the last show Tim and I did together (which was over 14 years ago!) You don’t want to miss it.

Tim and Josiah's First Pod

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Welcome to the Commonweal Theatre podcast. Today we’re talking with Ashley Graham - Actor in Come Back. We have a great conversation, about what brought her out here and about the Come Back, some of her favorite moments and playing all those hilarious characters   You don’t want to miss it.

Ashley Graham - So many characters in Come Back

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Today we talk with Matt Vichlach, the sound designer for Come Back.We have a great conversation, pulling back the curtain on his process when he designs a show, some of favorite moments from Come Back and how he got started in this whole industry. He also shares at the end, a few music recommendations, h so don’t miss out on that.Thanks for listening.

Matt Vichlach -Sound Designer for Come Back

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Today we’ve got a great interview with Elizabeth Dunn, Development Director at the Commonweal, and Actor in the Commonweal’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised].We talk about this show, what it’s like to play yourself onstage, how to prepare for improv, and what it takes to revise a show that’s been around for a long time.A quick note: We recorded this in the Commonweal’s mechanical room, a place with all of our heaters and coolers and h vac systems, so if you hear a little background noise, it&#39;s not you, it&#39;s us. Just a heads up. Thanks for joining us,

Elizabeth Dunn on Complete Works!

Drama Unfolds Where the Root River Bends.

Since 1989 the Commonweal has been southeastern Minnesota’s premier professional live theater company. With a rotating repertory of comedies, dramas, musicals and more, we offer something for everyone. Located in historic Bluff Country, the Commonweal is consistently ranked as one of the top things to do in Lanesboro, MN. This podcast focuses on Commonweal Theatre Company members and guest artists.



Drama Unfolds Where the Root River Bends. 
